


Triskelions and dragons

by bunnysworld



Series: Triskelions and dragons [1]
Category: Merlin (TV)
Genre: Alternate Universe - Modern Setting, Drabble, Drabble Collection, Fluff, M/M, Mystery, Reincarnation
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2014-07-31
Updated: 2014-07-31
Packaged: 2018-02-11 04:09:53
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 951
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/2053026
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/bunnysworld/pseuds/bunnysworld
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>Arthur likes the new boy in class but there's something strange about him</p>
            </blockquote>





	Triskelions and dragons

**Author's Note:**

> Thanks, issy for the beta!!! Where would I be without you?
> 
> Written for Camelot_Drabble's prompt: Charm

Arthur wasn’t paying attention to what Mrs. Lawson was saying, he was too busy staring at the new bloke, like he had done since he first set foot in this classroom a week ago. How could anyone have such a pelt on their head? And such blue eyes? And such a brilliant smile, once it showed, which hadn’t been too often in the past days.

Arthur longed to see that smile again. Whatever it was that kept Merlin from smiling, he wanted to find it and make it right and get that smile for himself; amongst other things he wanted from Merlin, but a smile would be a good start. 

Merlin fingered his bracelet absent-mindedly and then stopped and stared at it in horror. He looked on his desk, around his chair, in his backpack. 

“Is there anything you want to share with the class, Mr. Emrys?” Mrs. Lawson stepped close to Merlin’s desk and forcefully shoved her glasses up her nose, which was never a good sign.

“No…no, sorry, I just…it’s nothing.” Merlin shrank down in his chair but as soon as the teacher turned again, his eyes were scanning the floor.

Arthur knew immediately what Merlin was looking for. Having taken in every little detail about the other boy, he noticed that the silver charm he’d been wearing on that leather band around his wrist was missing. It seemed to mean a lot to Merlin and Arthur decided to browse the shops after school. Maybe he could find one similar to the one Merlin lost? And then he would give it to him and Merlin would kiss him for it? No, that would not happen. But maybe he could send it to him? Anonymously? Yes, that was a good idea.

Smiling to himself, Arthur almost missed the end of the class and stuffed his things into his bag quickly. When he looked up, Merlin had already left. Oh well. He checked his watch. If he hurried, he could take a detour via the boys’ room.

As he shoved the door open, Arthur noticed something shiny in the far corner by the sinks. He dropped his bag and after checking if anyone else was here, he hunched down to retrieve it. Arthur couldn’t believe his luck! It was the charm from Merlin’s bracelet! Leaning his hip against the sink, he examined the fine ornament that seemed to be a combination of a triskelion and a dragon. There was no mistaking, it was Merlin’s. 

The bell rang and Arthur grabbed his bag, shoving the charm into the front pocket of his jeans. He needed to hurry to get to the next class, which unfortunately wasn’t one Merlin attended, too.

At lunch, his team mates waved him over to their table, but Arthur shook his head. He couldn’t tell them he was looking for Merlin, they all thought the new bloke was odd. But the need to find Merlin suddenly was overwhelmingly strong, lunch wasn’t that important, but the other boy wasn’t anywhere in the cafeteria. 

Outside, at the far end of the school grounds, he spotted Merlin sitting underneath a tree, reading in a book that looked ancient. Smiling, Arthur approached. “Hi.”

Merlin looked up and Arthur took a deep breath. There was something fascinating about the blue of Merlin’s eyes and the way they looked at him; they seemed to be so much older than Merlin himself. “Hello.”

A shiver ran down Arthur’s spine. “I…I’m Arthur, we’re in Mrs. Lawson’s class together…”

“I know.”

Arthur hoped he didn’t groan out loud. Of course Merlin knew that they had most classes together, so he fumbled in the pocket of his jeans. “I think you lost something.”

“I lost something long ago, that’s true.”

What did that mean? Merlin had been wearing the charm just this morning in their first class and then lost it between then and geography. Maybe the guys were right and Merlin really was an odd one.

“I think I found it.” Clumsily, Arthur held the charm, which seemed to warm up more and more, out on the palm of his hand. 

Merlin smiled. Not the beaming smile Arthur had seen before, but a mysterious little smile, a knowing smile. “Me, too, Arthur, me too.”

Arthur frowned. Merlin definitely was an odd one, speaking in riddles. “What do you mean?” He felt stupid still holding the charm, that had almost gotten hot now, out to Merlin. “Don’t you want it back? It seemed rather important to you.”

Once again, Merlin gave him another strange smile that almost seemed to say ‘I don’t need it any longer’. “What do you know about what they call ‘Arthurian Legends’?”

What did that have to do with anything? “I’ve seen the movie.” It came out more as a question than a statement. 

“Sit with me, Arthur.” Merlin patted the ground next to him. 

This was confusing. What Arthur had hoped to turn into a ‘Oh, thank you so much! Let me kiss you for finding it!’ got stranger by the minute. He knew he should turn and leave and never look back. But something made him sit down and Arthur tried to shake that déjà-vu feeling that came over him as he sat there next to Merlin, underneath a tree. Since he didn’t know what to say, he just looked at the charm in his hand.

Merlin closed the old book he was holding and Arthur noticed the same pattern on the leather cover – a triskelion and a dragon. Before he could ask about it, he felt Merlin looking at him, the smile on his face a happy one.

“Let me tell you a story, Arthur.”

[An ancient story](http://archiveofourown.org/works/2097345)


End file.
